Appendix

Academic Grievance Policy

In addition to the policies detailed in the Student Handbook, students enrolled in the teacher education programs should contact the College of Education dean’s office to obtain a copy of the Academic Grievance Policy governing students enrolled in state-approved teacher education programs, which include: Early Childhood, Elementary Education, English Teacher Education, Biology Teacher Education, Chemistry Teacher Education, Mathematics Teacher Education, Communication Disorders, School Counseling, Special Education, and Educational Administration. Students are responsible for knowledge of, and adherence to, all university and college requirements and regulations.

Academic Honesty

Academic honesty pertains to all methods of fulfilling academic requirements at Governors State University.

The following procedures are appropriate ways to use the ideas and work of others when fulfilling academic requirements:

1.      When someone else’s work or scholarship is used to fulfill academic requirements, the source should be given credit. It should not be stated or implied that this work is a person’s own work.

a.       When using material from a publication, (e.g., book, journal, article, film, etc.), that material should be enclosed in quotation marks, or otherwise set off, and the source of the material acknowledged.

b.      When paraphrasing published material, (e.g., using it almost word-for-word), the source should also be acknowledged unless the information is common knowledge in the field.

c.       Unpublished data or ideas of another person should be utilized only with the consent of that person.

d.      Material should be prepared jointly with one or more other individuals only with the permission of the instructor. The contributions of all individuals to this material should be clearly acknowledged when it is submitted.

e.      Having someone else prepare material that is to be submitted should only be done with the instructor’s permission to do so.

2.      The same piece of work should not be submitted for credit in more than one course without the permission of all instructors involved.

3.      Hypothetical data should be submitted only with the permission of the instructor to do so and should be clearly labeled as such.

4.      One should refuse to make work available to another person who intends to submit part or all of that work as if he/she had written it.

5.      Students may neither give, request, nor utilize assistance during an examination without the instructor’s permission.

These ethical guidelines are in no way intended to discourage people from studying together or from engaging in group projects.

Access to Student Educational Records: Policy and Procedures

Forms and Federal Regulations (“Buckley”) 34 CFR Part 99

A.         Purpose

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974[1], more commonly known as the “Buckley Amendment,” guarantees certain rights for students and eligible parents regarding access to, confidentiality of, and correction of the student’s education records.  The purpose of this policy is to implement those statutory rights at Governors State University.

B.         Definitions

For the purposes of this policy, Governors State University operationally defines the following:

1.      A student is any person who is, or was, in attendance at Governors State University.

2.      An education record is any record (written, printed, taped, filmed, etc.) maintained by Governors State University or by an agent or employee of the university, that is directly related to a student, with the following exceptions:

a.       A record kept by a university employee if it is kept in the sole possession of the maker of the record and is not accessible or revealed to other persons except for a temporary substitute for the maker of the record.

b.      Records created and maintained by Public Safety strictly for law enforcement purposes.

c.       An employment record of an individual, whose employment is not contingent on the fact that the individual is a student, provided the record is used only in relation to the individual’s employment.

d.      Records made or maintained by a physician, psychiatrist, psychologist, or other recognized health professional/paraprofessional, if the records are used only for the treatment of a student and are made available only to those persons providing the treatment.

e.      Alumni records which contain information about a student after the student is no longer in attendance at the university and which do not relate to the person as a student.

3.      A parent includes a natural parent of a student, a guardian, or an individual acting as a parent in the absence of a parent or a guardian.

4.      An eligible parent is either (1) a parent of a student who has given written consent for the parent to review the student’s education records or (2) a parent who has claimed the student as a dependent as defined in Section 152 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 in the most recently ended tax year.  [2]

C. Annual Notification

GSU students will be notified of their Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act rights annually through the Student Handbook and GSU Catalog.

D. Procedure to Inspect Education Records

1.      Students may inspect and review their education records upon request to the appropriate record custodians who are listed in Section H. A student should submit to the appropriate record custodian a written request that specifies the record(s) the student wishes to inspect.

2.      An eligible parent of a student may inspect the student’s education records if (1) written consent is provided to the appropriate record custodian by the student, or (2) a copy of the 1040 series income tax form filed with the IRS for the most recently ended tax year is submitted by the parent to the appropriate record custodian showing that the student is claimed as defined in section 152 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954.

3.      The record custodian will make the needed access arrangements as promptly as possible and notify the student or eligible parent of the time and location of when and where the records may be inspected. Access must be provided within 45 days or less from receipt of the request.

4.      When a record contains information about more than one student, the student or eligible parent may inspect and review only the records that relate to the student.

5.      The review must be done in the presence of a university representative. Original records may not be removed from any office where they are maintained.

E. Right of the University to Refuse Access

Governors State University reserves the right to refuse to permit a student (or eligible parent except with respect to the parent’s financial records) to inspect the following records:

1.      The financial statement of the student’s parents.

2.      Letters and statements of recommendation for which the student has waived the right of access, or which were placed in the student’s file before January 1, 1975.

3.      Those records which are excluded from the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 definition of education records if such records do not fall within the definition of “public records.”

F. Refusal to Provide Copies

1.  Governors State University reserves the right to deny transcripts or copies of records not otherwise required to be made available by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 in any of the following situations:

a. The student or eligible parent lives within commuting distance (presumed to be 50 miles) of the university.

b. The student has an unpaid financial obligation to the university or an administrative hold on the academic record.

c. There is an unresolved disciplinary action against the student.

d. There is an unresolved academic action against the student.

G. Fees for Copies of Records

Students may have copies made of their education record upon payment of an appropriate charge established by the university.

H. Types, Locations, and Custodians of Education Records

The following is a list of the types of education records that GSU maintains, their locations, and their custodians.

Types Location Custodian

Miscellaneous Education Records (e.g., meetings with faculty)

The appropriate university employee official will locate and collect such records for inspection.

I. Disclosure of Education Records

Governors State University will disclose information from a student’s education records only with the written consent of the student, except:

A.      To university officials who have a legitimate educational interest in the records.

1.      A university official is defined as follows:

                                                                         a.      A person employed by the university in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position;

                                                                        b.      A person employed by or under contract to the university to perform a special administrative or professional task, such as an attorney or auditor.

2.      A university official has a legitimate educational interest in a record(s) if the university official is:

                                                                         a.      Performing a task that is specified in the official’s position description or by a contract agreement, and;

                                                                        b.      Performing a task related to a student’s education, or;

                                                                         c.      Performing a task related to the processing of a disciplinary charge involving the student, or;

                                                                        d.      Providing a service or benefit relating to the student or the student’s family (e.g., health care, counseling, job placement, financial aid).

B.      To certain officials of the United States Department of Education, and state and local educational authorities, in connection with certain state or federally supported education programs.

C.      In connection with a student’s request for or receipt of financial aid as necessary to determine the eligibility, amount, or conditions of the financial aid, or to enforce the terms and conditions of the financial aid, or to enforce the terms and conditions of the aid.

D.      To organizations conducting certain studies for or on behalf of the university.

E.      To accrediting organizations to carry out their functions.

F.       To parents of a student who claim the student as a dependent for income tax purposes as defined in Section 152 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954.

G.      To comply with a judicial order or a lawfully issued subpoena.

H.      To appropriate parties in a health or safety emergency.

I.        Directory information so designated by the university.

J.        The results of any disciplinary proceeding conducted by the university against an alleged perpetrator of a crime of violence to the alleged victim of that crime.

II. Record of Requests for Disclosure

Governors State University will maintain a record of all requests for and/or disclosure of information from a student’s education records, other than requests by/or disclosures to the student, a university official as defined in Section I.1, a party with written consent of the student, or a party seeking only directory information. The record will indicate the name of the party making the request, any additional party to whom it may be redisclosed, and the legitimate interest the party had in requesting or obtaining the information. The record may be reviewed by an eligible parent or by the student.

III. University Directory Information

A.     Directory information means information contained in the education record of a student that would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. Governors State University defines the following as directory information: Name, address, telephone number, date of birth, college and major field of study/concentration/minor, classification (graduate or undergraduate), previous institutions attended, participation in officially recognized activities, dates of attendance, degrees conferred with dates, full-time/part-time status, awards, honors, and achievements (including distinguished academic performance) with dates and picture.

B.     Under the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act, a student has the right to request that the disclosure of directory information be withheld and omitted from the University Directory as long as the student is enrolled or maintains continuing student status at the university. If a student wishes to have any or all directory information withheld, the student must submit a written request to the Registrar’s Office.  Directory information may be released without permission for students who are no longer enrolled, have graduated, or have lost continuing student status at GSU, unless otherwise requested. Students are advised of the disclosure of directory information in the Schedule of Classes each trimester, the Student Handbook, and GSU Catalog.

IV. Correction of Education Records

Students have the right to ask to have records corrected that they believe are inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of their privacy rights. The following are procedures for the correction of records:

A.      A student must ask the appropriate records custodian, listed in Section H, to amend a specific record. In so doing, the student should identify the part of the record the student wants changed and specify why the student believes it to be inaccu­rate, misleading, or in violation of the student’s privacy or other rights.

B.      The custodian may comply with the request or may decide not to comply.  If the custodian decides not to comply, the custodian will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of the right to a hearing to challenge the information believed to be inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of the student’s rights.

C.      Upon request, the custodian will arrange for a hearing and will notify the student reasonably in advance of the date, location, and time of the hearing.

D.      The hearing will be conducted by a hearing officer who is a disinterested party appointed by the provost. The hearing officer may be an official of the university.  The student shall be afforded a full and fair opportunity to present evidence relevant to the issues raised in the original request to amend the student’s education records.  The student may be assisted by one or more individuals, including an attorney.

E.      The hearing officer will prepare a written decision based solely on the evidence presented at the hearing. The decision will include a summary of the evidence presented and the reasons for the decision.

F.       If the hearing officer decides that the contested information is not inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of the student’s right of privacy, the hearing officer will notify the student that the student has a right to place in the record, a statement commenting on the contested informa­tion and/or a statement setting forth reasons for disagreeing with the decision.

G.      The statement will be maintained as part of the student’s education records as long as the contested portion is maintained. If GSU discloses the contested portion of the record, it will also disclose the statement.

H.      If the hearing officer decides that the information is inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of the student’s right to privacy, the appropriate record custodian will amend the record and notify the student, in writing, that the record has been amended.

I.        Students have the right to file complaints with The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act Office (FERPA), Department of Education, Washington, D.C., 20201, concerning alleged failures of GSU to comply with the Act.

Forms

Request to Prevent Disclosure of Directory Information

Consent to Disclose Non-Directory Education Records

Student Request to Inspect and Review Education Records

Request by Parent or Guardian to Review Education Records

Request to Review Education Records by GSU Personnel or an Outside Agency

Contact the Registrar’s Office to request the forms.

Residency Status for Academic Purposes

(GSU Board of Trustees Regulations, Sec. IV., Subsection C)
Definitions
For purposes of this regulation, the following definitions pertain.

An “adult student” is a student who is 18 or more years of age.

A “minor student” is a student who is less than 18 years of age.

An “emancipated minor student” is a completely self-supporting student who is less than 18 years of age. Marriage or active military service shall be regarded as affecting the emancipation of minors, whether male or female, for the purposes of this regulation.

“Residence” means legal domicile. Voter registration, filing of tax returns, proper license and registration for driving or ownership of a vehicle, and other such transactions may verify intent of residence in a state. Neither length of university attendance nor continued presence in the university community during vacation periods shall be construed to be proof of Illinois residence. Except as otherwise provided in this regula­tion, no parent or legal or natural guardian will be considered a resident unless the parent or guardian maintains a bona fide and permanent residence in Illinois, except when temporarily absent from Illinois, with no intention of changing his or her legal residence to some other state or country.

Residency Determination

The university shall determine the residency status of each student enrolled in the university for the purpose of determining whether the student is assessed in-state or out-of-state tuition. Each applicant for admission to the university shall submit at the time of application evidence for determination of residency. The office responsible for admissions shall make a determination of residency status.

If a nonresident is classified in error as a resident, a change in tuition charges shall be applicable beginning with the term following reclassification. If the erroneous resident classification is caused by false information submitted by the student, a change in tuition charges shall be applicable for each term in which tuition charges were based on such false information. In addition, the student who has submitted false information may be subject to appropriate disciplinary action.

If a resident is classified by error as a nonresident, a change in tuition charges shall be applicable during the term in which the reclassification occurs, provided that the student has filed a written request for review in accordance with this regulation.

Residency Requirements

Adult Students. To be considered a resident, an adult student must have been a bona fide resident of Illinois for a period of at least six consecutive months immedi­ately preceding the beginning of any term for which the individual registers at the university and must continue to maintain a bona fide residence in Illinois. In the case of adult students who reside with their parents (or one of them if only one parent is living or the parents are separated or divorced), the student will be considered a resident if the parents have established and are maintain­ing a bona fide residence in Illinois.

Minor Students. The residence of a minor student shall be considered to be the same as and change with any of the following:

1.                  That of the minor’s parents if they are living together, or the living parent if one is deceased; or

2.                  if the parents are separated or divorced, that of the parent to whom custody of the minor has been awarded by court decree or order, or in the absence of a court decree or order, that of the father unless the minor has continuously resided with the mother for a period of at least six consecutive months immedi­ately preceding the minor’s registration at the university, in which latter case the minor’s residence shall be considered to be that of the mother; or

3.                  if the minor has been legally adopted, that of the adoptive parents, and, in the event the adoptive parents become divorced or separated, that of the adoptive parent whose residence would govern under the foregoing rules if the parent had been a natural parent; or

4.                  that of the legally-appointed guardian of the person; or

5.                  that of a “natural” guardian such as a grandparent, adult brother or adult sister, adult uncle or aunt, or other adult with whom the minor has resided and by whom the minor has been supported for a period of at least six consecutive months immediately preceding the minor’s registration at the university for any term if the minor’s parents are deceased or have aban­doned the minor and if no legal guardian of the minor has been appointed and qualified.

Emancipated Minors. If emancipated minors actually reside in Illinois, such minors shall be considered residents even though their parents or guardians may not reside in Illinois. Emancipated minors who are com­pletely self-supporting shall be considered residents if they have maintained a dwelling place within Illinois for a period of at least six consecutive months immediately preceding the beginning of any term for which they register at the university. Emancipated minors who reside with their parents and whose parents (or one of them if one parent is living or the parents are separated or divorced) have established and are maintaining a bona fide Illinois residence shall be regarded as residents.

Minor Children of Parents Transferred Outside the United States. The minor children of persons who have resided in Illinois for at least twelve consecutive months immediately prior to a transfer by their employers to some location outside of the United States shall be considered residents. This rule shall apply, however, only when the minor children of such parents enroll in the university within five years of the time their parents are transferred by their employer to a location outside the United States.

Married Students. A nonresident student, whether minor or adult, who is married to a person who meets and complies with all of the applicable requirements of these regulations to establish residence status, shall be classified as a resident.

Armed Forces Personnel. Nonresidents of Illinois who are on active duty with one of the services of the Armed Forces of the United States, who are stationed in Illinois, and who submit evidence of such service and station, as well as the spouses and dependent children of such persons, shall be considered residents as long as such persons remain stationed in Illinois and the spouses and/or dependent children of such persons also reside in Illinois. If such persons are transferred to a post outside the continental United States, but such persons remain registered at the university, residency status shall continue until such time as these persons are stationed within a state other than Illinois but within the continen­tal United States.

Staff Members of the University, Allied Agencies, and Faculty of State-Supported Institutions in Illinois.

Staff members of the university and of allied agencies and faculties of state-supported institutions of higher education in Illinois, holding appointment of at least one-quarter time, and their spouses and dependent children, shall be treated as residents.

Teachers in Public and Private Illinois Schools.

Teachers (which is defined by Illinois statute as an individual holding a valid initial, standard, or master teaching certificate) in public and private elementary and secondary schools of Illinois shall, if subject to payment of tuition, be assessed at the resident rate during any term in which they hold an appointment of at least one-quarter time, including the summer session immediately following the term in which the appointment was effective.

Residency Status Appeal Procedure

Students who take exception to their residency status classification shall pay the tuition assessed but may file a claim in writing to the Registrar’s Office, which is responsible for reconsideration of residency status. The written claim must be filed within thirty (30) calendar days from the date of initial registration or the student loses all rights to a change of residency status for the term in question.   The Registrar’s Office, in consultation with the Business Office and the International Services Office, will make the decision on residency status.

If the student is dissatisfied with the ruling in response to the written claim made within said period, the student may file a written appeal within ten (10) calendar days of receipt of the decision to the Registrar’s Office.  Such written appeals shall be forwarded to the vice president for administration and planning, who shall consider all evidence submitted in connection with the case and renders a decision which shall be final.

Special Situations

Upon recommendation of the president, the GSU Board of Trustees may, in special situations, grant residency status to categories of persons otherwise classified as nonresidents under this regulation.

Individuals Who Are Not Citizens or Permanent Residents.

In the case of an individual who is not a citizen or a permanent resident of the United States, the Board of Trustees shall deem an individual an Illinois resident, until the individual establishes a residence outside of this State, if all of the following conditions are met:

1.    the individual resided with his or her parent or guardian while attending a public or private high school in this State;

2.    the individual graduated from a public or private high school or received the equivalent of a high school diploma;

3.    the individual attended school in this State for at least 3 years as of the date the individual graduated from high school or received the equivalent high school diploma; and

4.    the individual provides  the  university  with  an  affidavit stating  that  the individual will file an application to become a permanent resident of the United States  at  the earliest opportunity the individual is eligible to do so.

Technology Outcomes for Students

Computer and information technologies are integral features of our culture. These technologies are extremely useful in enhancing, supporting, and delivering instruc­tion, and for students to research, prepare, and submit assignments. These technologies are essential for students.

1.  In order to support its instructional goals and to assure that its graduates are adequately prepared for the work place, each academic program will incorporate technological competencies into its curricula and assess expected outcomes.

At minimum, the outcomes will include:

• ability to use appropriate software for the development of papers, reports, and other assignments;
• ability to conduct searches on the Internet and to use library databases to access relevant literature; and

• ability to send and receive electronic mail with attachments.

2.  A student’s achievement of the required competen­cies defined in one of the above will be verified on the student’s application for graduation by the advisor.